A freshman legislator from Shaler wants to sharply reduce the salaries of the seven Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board members and use the savings to pay for state oversight of legalized slots in the state.

Rep. Randy Vulakovich, R-Shaler, proposed House Bill 482, which would reduce the current $145,000 annual salaries for six board members to $64,178, and Chairman Tad Decker's salary from $150,000 to $66,810.

Mr. Vulakovich, a retired Shaler policeman, would earmark the more than $500,000 in savings for Attorney General Tom Corbett and state police to use in regulating the 14 slots parlors. The state will need more than $40 million to regulate gaming in 2007-08, including funds for the gaming board, attorney general, state police and Revenue Department.

The odds against the salary-cutting bill seem large at this point. The governor named three board members, including Mr. Decker, and is likely to veto it, even if it were to pass the Legislature. Rendell administration officials have said that top talent is needed to properly implement gaming and oversee the slots operation and a certain salary level is needed to attract qualified people.

Also yesterday, state revenue secretary nominee Thomas W. Wolf said he doesn't think Pennsylvania slots parlors will keep people from playing the state lottery, which pays for transportation, drug and rent rebate programs for senior citizens.

"I don't think gaming will have a significant effect on lottery sales," said the York businessman, nominated by Gov. Ed Rendell to replace Greg Fajt of Mt. Lebanon as head of the Revenue Department.

"The lottery and slots parlors are aimed at two different types of customers," Mr. Wolf, who still must be confirmed by the Senate, told the House Appropriations Committee.

The state's new slots casinos could "have an effect on Pennsylvanians who are going out of state to gamble," meaning keeping them here and reducing casino revenues in New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia, he said. "But lottery sales are more impulse buying, while gaming is a destination venue."

Sales of lottery tickets have significantly increased in the past four years, due to more advertising and the advent of kiosk-type vending machines in stores and restaurants where people can buy lottery tickets.